Car Maintenance

[NirvanaMan]

Here's the deal:

This falls under a category known as preventative maintenance. Spending a little here ensures your car will have a good long life and will not leave you stranded on the side of the road. It makes proper sense to check things that wear like hoses, belts and the like. Flushes are sensible at a certain mileage as well to prevent build up of contaminants that erode or clog different components. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. It's as true for cars as it is for herpes.

That said, the dealers do operate these units as a profit center. However, the recommendations on service come directly from the engineers that designed the car, and they are a pretty damn good source.

..............................................

Ok just spoke with my golf buddy who also happens to be the head of Approved Automotive Repair (AAR) for AAA. He agrees with me that you should do the service. We chatted about going to a dealer versus an independant repair shop. Here's the deal, if you are a AAA member, they have a pretty good service called AAR. What that means basically is that AAA backs you and will arbitrate on your behalf if you run into issues with the shop if they are one we have approved. They also have to go through a rather extensive process for AAA to approve them. Pretty good deal and it's nice to have the backing of a big corporation who is the only one out there that really offers this type of service.

That said, there is one shop close to you that he recommended. I will PM it to you.

[BarTopDancer]

Thank you so much!

As much as I love being a chick buying cars and electronics cause it messes with them when I know what I'm talking about, this is one thing I have no idea on. I really appreciate having a place I can take her and know I won't get screwed around.

[LashStoat]

Dear BTD,

I take my Hilux Ute to the local K-Mart Tyre service guys, and a decent service costs $120 to $160 here in OZ.

If ever you are in doubt about what should/shouldn't be done, most car manufacturers actually specify items in the Owner's Manual (which I imagine would be downloadable in PDF format from the Web).

In Oz, we have to get a "pink slip" inspection once a year to re-register the vehicle. So I kill two birds with one stone, safe in the knowledge that they can't knock back a car that they have just serviced...

Love and hugs,

The Stoat XXX.

[MouseWife]

Well, talk about irony.

So, I've done all of the maintenance. I had that major service done probably in March of this year. The major miles we put on it were going to Yosemite twice. Other than that, it mostly sits when I am not working.

Yesterday I am running to the bank for my mom and the motor/engine light comes on. I call the Roadside Assistance and they say it is emissions and I can drive it to the dealer. Well, actually, no, because I have a car full of people I need to drop off at their house. With a load of perishable groceries. So, I call from there to have the car towed. They said I could drive it, I don't think so. It sounded pretty bad by this time.

Now, I am pretty p'od because, according to this wonderful check up, everything should have been clean and clear. Another time my car broke down not too long after I'd had an inspection, a major hose broke. Luckily we weren't on a road trip. Which if we had the money we'd have been yesterday.......

Having service done by Firestone is acceptable to the warranty? I think I will find the closest one. A friends husband works there. Oh, wait, probably not covered by my extended warranty for repairs?

Ya know, I am pretty disappointed with these problems. Sure, I've been towed and safe but I've been lucky.

Anyone else have problems with an Escape? I love it but I am not happy with these issues. It seems to have these issues when I don't drive it, but, only for a couple of weeks, how can a car get that messed up that quickly?

{sorry BTD for hijacking your thread...}

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by MouseWife

Having service done by Firestone is acceptable to the warranty? I think I will find the closest one. A friends husband works there. Oh, wait, probably not covered by my extended warranty for repairs?

Firestone can probably do the extended warranty repairs. It is a usually a third party that covers the warranty. Check with Firestone.

[NirvanaMan]

The Hilux is the most indestructable vehicle on earth!

[NirvanaMan]

MW, how many miles are you at? Who performed the service? The Escape is a very solid car, but things like hoses, belts and the like are wear and tear parts and they do break over time. If it was just after if was supposed to be inspected however, and the dealer performed the service, then you need to give them hell. If the car is still under warranty, you could even call Ford Motor Company directly and tell them about the poor service you received from the dealer (if they are not able to resolve your concern).

Basically, $hit happens. Even to the best. My friend went through 3 transmissions in as many years in his Toyota. Ironically (and this is pretty common) when someone asks him how his Toyota was he tells them that it was great and problem-free.

[MouseWife]

What a positive friend you have!! Well, I too, actually love my Escape. It is our vacation mobile, we picked it out exactly for our needs.

But...yes, I think, may be, the dealer we go to may not be so great. Dang, I am trying to remember how close it was to the servicing when the hose broke {but yes, hoses do break but they were supposed to check and if this was a big hose shouldn't they have noticed something?}.

It has 33,111 miles on it. Every complaint we've ever had they've swept away. This thing, with the emission, it was acting like it was low on power and then after about, I don't know, ten miles? it started to make a sound almost like it was missing, or that, yes, something was clogged somewhere.

Ya know, something they never could explain to us: {ours is a 4wd all of the time} one time, on a trip, we had driven from San Diego to just over the Grapevine. We stopped at a rest area and as we pulled in, slowing down, we heard a very loud noise like we were running over cobblestone. Even a man walking seemed to turn and see what was up {it was about 2 o'clock in the morning}. It was loud. So, the next morning we get up and check the road, no cobblestone.

The dealer said they couldn't find anything out, I talked with the service manager {or the dealer manager, someone high up} and explained it all and he said they checked it by computer. I think they thought we said it made a funny noise when we drove over cobblestone {yeah, I am going to the dealer every time I drive over a new surface.... }.

Anyway, what do you think about that? Oh, and after your response, I'll forget you are a mechanic.

Oh, and the service department is closed as well as the car rental place.

KevyBaby, thanks for that tip. I will check into it. A friends' husband left the Ford dealer to work there because he was not happy with their business tactics. {not sure which dealer, though}.

[lashbear]

Originally Posted by LashStoat

Dear BTD,

I take my Hilux Ute to the local K-Mart Tyre service guys, and a decent service costs $120 to $160 here in OZ.

If ever you are in doubt about what should/shouldn't be done, most car manufacturers actually specify items in the Owner's Manual (which I imagine would be downloadable in PDF format from the Web).

In Oz, we have to get a "pink slip" inspection once a year to re-register the vehicle. So I kill two birds with one stone, safe in the knowledge that they can't knock back a car that they have just serviced...

Love and hugs,

The Stoat XXX.

Stoat - STOAT !!

You're talking Car Maintenance !!

I'm going to have to revoke your Gay Card (tm) Sorry.

[LashStoat]

Bear...Bear!!!

At least one of us has to worry about the metal roundy-roundy thing under the big metal lid. If I didn't then lumps would drop off and the car wouldn't go along when we pressed the pedals down anymore, unless we were on a down-hill slope - and some of the places we go are uphill, which would be a problem.

So give me my freakin' card back or you'll be doing a lot of hard yards, buster !!!

Love and hugs,

The Stoat XXX.